One SPAR store-owner is urging retailers not to get down in the dumps because of the recession but to fight back with a smile and show customers the value of shopping with Britain’s number one convenience store group.
Keep smiling
Chris Sharrinton, who runs a store in Helston, Cornwall, with his wife Sue, believes that the current economic downturn has handed retailers a golden opportunity to impress on customers that SPAR has some big offers and great stores.
He said participation in Real Deals was an absolute must for all retailers and highlighted initiatives like SPAR’s new Extra Value range as key ways for store owners to retain profit and give customers value for money.
Extra Value is being introduced by SPAR to capitalise on the trend towards value products, and is being presented in simple red and white packaging. Sales of SPAR's own-brand products have grown at twice the rate of group sales over the last 18 months.
“There is so much doom and gloom at the moment and the British are very good at talking things down, but SPAR retailers should try to talk things up and encourage customers to visit their stores more often.
“SPAR and Appleby Westward [SPAR's distributor for the South and South West] are actually providing us all with some very good tools to help us retailers do just that. Extra Value is superb and gives the customer real value for money as well as retaining profit for the retailer. Everyone should have it in.
“Also, the all-new Real Deal end bay kits are eye-catching, bright and really good. Every SPAR retailer should be offering Real Deals, particularly in this climate. People are not going to supermarkets so often and are using us more, so let’s get them to come to us more and buy that Extra Value product.
“In our store, we have taken every opportunity we can to put good offers in front of customers, putting in two additional new Real Deal end bays and letting them know SPAR has some really good, competitive prices.”